Lebanese
Second Division 2018-2019
|
Season
|
2018-2019
|
|
Dates
|
14 September 2018 – 5 April 2019
|
|
Champions
|
Bourj FC
|
|
Promoted
|
Bourj FC
Shabab El Bourj
|
|
Relegated
|
Homenetmen Beirut
Shabab Al Arabi
|
|
Matches
played
|
132
|
|
Goals
scored
|
393 (2.98 goals/match on average)
|
|
Biggest
home win
|
Bourj – Al Islah Al Bourj Al Shimaly
6-1 (round 14, 10 February 2019)
Naser Barelias – Hikma / La Sagesse
5-0 (round 19, 17 March 2019)
|
|
Biggest
away win
|
Hikma / La Sagesse – Shabab El Bourj
0-6 (round 16, 24 February 2019)
|
|
Highest
scoring
|
Homenetmen – Ahly Nabatieh 4-5 (round
10, 2 December 2018)
|
|
Longest
winning run
|
Shabab El Bourj (7 matches, rounds
12-18)
|
|
Longest
unbeaten run
|
Bourj FC (19 matches, rounds 4-22)
|
|
Longest
winless run
|
Shabab Al Arabi (11 matches, rounds
12-22)
Nahda Barelias (11 matches, rounds
11-21)
|
|
Longest
losing run
|
Homenetmen Beirut (9 matches, rounds
4-12)
|
Competition
details and format
The Lebanese
Second Division represents the second tier of the football system in Lebanon.
It is organised by the Lebanese Football Association. Just like before, the 2018-2019
season comprises only one pool (group) involving 12 teams, of which 8 teams came
from the previous season of the Second Division, 2 teams were relegated from
the Lebanese Premier League (or First Division)
and 2 teams were promoted from the Third Division.
The competition
format was established as a double (home and away) round-robin championship,
each team playing all other teams twice, once at home and once away, a total of
22 rounds. The competition started on the 14th of September 2018 and
is scheduled to end on 5 April 2019. Round 11, the last of the first half, was
played in the first half of December 2018. There was a winter break after the
first half of the season, around Christmas and the New Year. Round 12, the
first of the second half of the season, was played in January 2019. The last
round, 22, will be played in April 2019.
Most of the
matches are played on Saturdays and Sundays and sometimes on Fridays. The usual
kick-off time is in the afternoon.
Matches in the
first half of the season are played according to a drawing of lots. In the
second half of the season, teams play each other in reverse location with
respect to the first half, but in a different order, according to the table at
half-season, so that the best classified teams will play the worst classified
teams at the beginning of the second half, while matches between similarly
classified teams would be played in the last rounds. As such, the match between
the first and the second classified team at half season would be played in the
last round. This system is considered to provide more interest for potentially
decisive matches.
At the end of
the season, the first two teams in the classification gain promotion to the
Lebanese Premier League (First Division) while the last two in the
classification are relegated to the Third Division.
The two teams
relegated from the Premier League, Shabab
Al Arabi and Al Islah Al Bourj Al
Shimaly, along with Bourj and Mabarrah, were considered among the
main contenders for promotion at the start of the competition. However, Shabab Al Arabi and Al Islah Al Bourj Al Shimaly did not
fight for promotion and later became surprisingly involved in the struggle for
survival. Bourj became leaders after
a few rounds and slightly distanced from the other teams, while the second
place remained disputed among several teams, including the newly-promoted Nahda Barelias and Shabab El Bourj, as well as Ahly
Sidon and Egtmaaey Tripoli. In
the second half of the season, Shabab El
Bourj and Ahly Sidon succeeded
to put some distance between them and the other teams in search for the second
place, while Bourj remained leaders.
Bourj were mathematically promoted
to the Lebanese Premier League after winning 1-0 over third-classified Ahly
Sidon in the 20th round and became champions after winning 2-0 away
at Nahda Barelias in the next round. The 21st round also saw the
mathematical promotion of Shabab El
Bourj after winning 3-0 away at Egtmaaey Tripoli, therefore succeeding two
consecutive promotions, from the Third Division to the Premier League in two
years. Ahly Sidon remained third and they missed promotion despite an
impressive season. They will continue in the Second Division the next year.
In the lower
part of the table, Homenetmen and Naser Barelias became clear candidates
for relegation after several rounds. However, the situation became more
complicated during the second half of the season, as these teams gained more
points and almost closed the gap between them and the teams in the middle of
the classification. Homenetmen Beirut however
did not manage to escape relegation, and were mathematically relegated after
the 20th round, when they lost 2-1 at home to Naser Barelias, a team which had a very strong end of the season
and succeeded to avoid relegation. Therefore, the struggle to avoid relegation
was carried on until the last round, when Shabab
Al Arabi lost to Nahda Barelias in
the decisive match to avoid relegation. Therefore, after a very weak second
half of the season, in which they did not win a single game, Shabab Al Arabi were relegated to the
Third Division, immediately after their relegation to the Second Division. It
is interesting to note that all teams that were promoted or relegated at the
end of the season are located in Beirut or its suburbs.
Team
changes from the 2017-2018
To
the Second Division
Promoted
from the Third Division
Nahda Barelias
Shabab El Bourj
Relegated
from the Premier League
Shabab Al Arabi
Al Islah Al Bourj Al Shimaly
From
the Second Division
Promoted
to the Premier League
Shabab Sahel
Shabab Al-Ghazieh
Relegated
to the Third Division
Shabab Majdal Anjar
Amal Maarka
Teams
|
Team
|
Home
town
|
Stadium
|
2017-2018
|
|
Shabab Al Arabi
|
Beirut
|
Al-Ahed[1]
|
11th in the Premier League
(relegated)
|
|
Al Islah Al Bourj
|
Bourj Al Shimaly
|
Sour Municipal[2]
|
12th in the Premier League
(relegated)
|
|
Bourj FC
|
Bourj el-Barajneh
|
Safa[3]
|
3rd in the Second Division
|
|
Mabarrah
|
Beirut
|
Al-Ahed
|
4th in the Second Division
|
|
Al-Ahly Nabatieh
|
Nabatieh
|
Kfarjoz
|
5th in the Second Division
|
|
Naser Barelias
|
Barelias
|
Jamal abd Al Naser[4]
|
6th in the Second Division
|
|
Homenetmen
|
Beirut
|
Fouad Shebab[5]
|
7th in the Second Division
|
|
Al-Ahly Sidon
|
Sidon (Saida)
|
Saida International
|
8th in the Second Division
|
|
Egtmaaey Tripoli
|
Tripoli
|
Tripoli Municipal
|
9th in the Second Division
|
|
Hikma / La Sagesse
|
Beirut
|
Safa
|
10th in the Second Division
|
|
Nahda Barelias
|
Barelias
|
Jamal abd Al Naser[6]
|
1st in the Third Division
(promoted)
|
|
Shabab El Bourj
|
Beirut
|
Al-Ahed
|
2nd in the Third Division
(promoted)
|
Geographical
distribution of teams
Location of the 2018-2019 Lebanese
Second Division teams according to Wikipedia.
Homenetmen, Shabab El Bourj and Shabab
Al Arabi are located in Beirut. Hikma / La Sagesse (Hekmeh on the map) is
wrongfully located at Jounieh, instead of Beirut.
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2018-2019_Lebanese_Second_Division
|
Part of Lebanon
|
Number of teams
|
Teams
|
|
North
|
1
|
Egtmaaey Tripoli
|
|
East (Bekaa Valley)
|
2
|
Naser Barelias, Nahda Barelias
|
|
South
|
3
|
Ahly Sidon, Ahly Nabatieh, Al Islah Al
Bourj Sh.
|
|
Beirut area and surroundings
|
6
|
Bourj, Shabab El Bourj, Shabab Al
Arabi, Homenetmen, Hikma / La Sagesse, Mabarrah
|
Round
1 (14-16
September 2018)
Ahly Sidon – Mabarrah 1-2
Hikma / La Sagesse – Homenetmen 1-1
Al Islah Al Bourj Al Shimaly – Naser
Barelias 1-0
Ahly Nabatieh – Bourj 0-0
Shabab El Bourj – Shabab Al Arabi 1-0
Nahda Barelias – Egtmaaey Tripoli 1-1
Round
2 (22-23
September 2018)
Homenetmen – Nahda Barelias 2-3
Bourj – Hikma / La Sagesse 2-0
Egtmaaey Tripoli – Shabab Al Arabi 0-2
Al Islah Al Bourj Al Shimaly – Shabab El
Bourj 1-0
Ahly Nabatieh – Ahly Sidon 1-4
Naser Barelias – Mabarrah 1-0
Round
3 (28-30
September 2018)
Mabarrah – Shabab El Bourj 0-0
Shabab Al Arabi – Nahda Barelias 1-0
Bourj – Homenetmen 1-2
Ahly Sidon – Hikma / La Sagesse 1-1
Egtmaaey Tripoli – Al Islah Al Bourj Al
Shimaly 5-1
Naser Barelias – Ahly Nabatieh 2-3
Round
4 (5-7
October 2018)
Ahly Sidon – Bourj 0-2
Egtmaaey Tripoli – Mabarrah 3-1
Hikma / La Sagesse – Naser Barelias 1-0
Homenetmen – Shabab Al Arabi 0-1
Ahly Nabatieh – Shabab El Bourj 2-6
Nahda Barelias – Al Islah Al Bourj Al
Shimaly 2-1
Round
5 (19-21
October 2018)
Nahda Barelias – Mabarrah 2-2
Ahly Nabatieh – Egtmaaey Tripoli 2-2
Shabab Al Arabi – Al Islah Al Bourj Al
Shimaly 2-2
Homenetmen – Ahly Sidon 2-5
Naser Barelias – Bourj 0-3
Shabab El Bourj – Hikma / La Sagesse 3-2
Round
6 (26-28
October 2018)
Ahly Sidon – Naser Barelias 2-0
Homenetmen – Al Islah Al Bourj Al
Shimaly 1-2
Mabarrah – Shabab Al Arabi 0-0
Egtmaaey Tripoli – Hikma / La Sagesse
2-0
Bourj – Shabab El Bourj 1-0
Nahda Barelias – Ahly Nabatieh 1-1
Round
7 (2-4
November 2018)
Hikma / La Sagesse – Nahda Barelias 0-1
Naser Barelias – Homenetmen 1-0
Ahly Sidon – Shabab El Bourj 2-1
Al Islah Al Bourj Al Shimaly – Mabarrah
0-1
Ahly Nabatieh – Shabab Al Arabi 4-1
Bourj – Egtmaaey Tripoli 1-0
Round
8 (9-11
November 2018)
Al Islah Al Bourj Al Shimaly – Ahly
Nabatieh 2-2
Mabarrah – Homenetmen 2-1
Bourj – Nahda Barelias 0-0
Shabab Al Arabi – Hikma / La Sagesse 1-2
Ahly Sidon – Egtmaaey Tripoli 3-1
Naser Barelias – Shabab El Bourj 1-2
Round
9 (23-25
November 2018)
Egtmaaey Tripoli – Naser Barelias 4-1
Bourj – Shabab Al Arabi 2-1
Shabab El Bourj – Homenetmen 2-1
Mabarrah – Ahly Nabatieh 0-0
Al Islah Al Bourj Al Shimaly – Hikma /
La Sagesse 0-2
Nahda Barelias – Ahly Sidon 3-1
Round
10 (30
November – 2 December 2018)
Naser Barelias – Nahda Barelias 0-1
Hikma / La Sagesse – Mabarrah 2-1
Shabab El Bourj – Egtmaaey Tripoli 2-1
Homenetmen – Ahly Nabatieh 4-5
Ahly Sidon – Shabab Al Arabi 1-2
Al Islah Al Bourj Al Shimaly – Bourj 0-1
Round
11 (7-9
December 2018)
Shabab Al Arabi – Naser Barelias 3-0
Ahly Nabatieh – Hikma / La Sagesse 3-3
Bourj – Mabarrah 0-0
Homenetmen – Egtmaaey Tripoli 0-4
Ahly Sidon – Al Islah Al Bourj Al
Shimaly 3-2
Nahda Barelias – Shabab El Bourj 0-0
Table at
half-season
|
1
|
Bourj
|
11
|
7
|
3
|
1
|
13-3
|
24
|
Promotion
to the Premier League
|
|
2
|
Shabab El Bourj
|
11
|
6
|
2
|
3
|
17-11
|
20
|
Promotion
to the Premier League
|
|
3
|
Nahda Barelias
|
11
|
5
|
5
|
1
|
14-9
|
20
|
|
|
4
|
Ahly Sidon
|
11
|
6
|
1
|
4
|
23-17
|
19
|
|
|
5
|
Egtmaaey Tripoli
|
11
|
5
|
2
|
4
|
23-14
|
17
|
|
|
6
|
Shabab Al Arabi
|
11
|
5
|
2
|
4
|
14-12
|
17
|
|
|
7
|
Hikma / La Sagesse
|
11
|
4
|
3
|
4
|
14-15
|
15
|
|
|
8
|
Ahly Nabatieh
|
11
|
3
|
6
|
2
|
23-25
|
15
|
|
|
9
|
Mabarrah
|
11
|
3
|
5
|
3
|
9-10
|
14
|
|
|
10
|
Al Islah Al Bourj Al Sh.
|
11
|
3
|
2
|
5
|
12-19
|
11
|
|
|
11
|
Naser Barelias
|
11
|
2
|
0
|
9
|
6-20
|
6
|
Relegation
to the Third Division
|
|
12
|
Homenetmen
|
11
|
1
|
1
|
9
|
14-27
|
4
|
Relegation
to the Third Division
|
Round
12 (25-27
January 2019)
Mabarrah – Ahly Sidon 0-1
Shabab Al Arabi – Ahly Nabatieh 0-1
Homenetmen – Bourj 0-4
Hikma / La Sagesse – Egtmaaey Tripoli
2-2
Shabab El Bourj – Naser Barelias 3-1
Al Islah Al Bourj Al Shimaly – Nahda
Barelias 1-0
Round
13 (1-3
February 2019)
Hikma / La Sagesse – Shabab Al Arabi 2-2
Shabab El Bourj – Al Islah Al Bourj Al
Shimaly 5-2
Bourj – Naser Barelias 4-0
Mabarrah – Nahda Barelias 1-1
Ahly Sidon – Ahly Nabatieh 3-2
Egtmaaey Tripoli – Homenetmen 3-5
Round
14 (8-10
February 2019)
Hikma / La Sagesse – Ahly Sidon 0-1
Ahly Nabatieh – Nahda Barelias 2-0
Shabab Al Arabi – Homenetmen 0-2
Bourj – Al Islah Al Bourj Al Shimaly 6-1
Naser Barelias – Egtmaaey Tripoli 1-0
Shabab El Bourj – Mabarrah 1-0
Round
15 (15-17
February 2019)
Naser Barelias – Shabab Al Arabi 2-0
Mabarrah – Bourj 1-2
Ahly Sidon – Homenetmen 3-1
Al Islah Al Bourj Al Shimaly – Egtmaaey
Tripoli 0-1
Nahda Barelias – Hikma / La Sagesse 3-3
Shabab El Bourj – Ahly Nabatieh 4-1
Round
16 (22-24
February 2019)
Naser Barelias – Ahly Sidon 0-0
Mabarrah – Egtmaaey Tripoli 2-1
Al Islah Al Bourj Al Shimaly – Shabab Al
Arabi 1-1
Hikma / La Sagesse – Shabab El Bourj 0-6
Bourj – Ahly Nabatieh 3-1
Nahda Barelias – Homenetmen 0-1
Round
17 (1-3
March 2019)
Al Islah Al Bourj Al Shimaly – Ahly
Sidon 1-1
Nahda Barelias – Naser Barelias 3-3
Shabab Al Arabi – Mabarrah 1-1
Homenetmen – Shabab El Bourj 0-2
Hikma / La Sagesse – Bourj 0-0
Egtmaaey Tripoli – Ahly Nabatieh 2-4
Round
18 (8-10
March 2019)
Egtmaaey Tripoli – Bourj 0-2
Homenetmen – Hikma / La Sagesse 3-5
Shabab Al Arabi – Shabab El Bourj 0-2
Mabarrah – Al Islah Al Bourj Al Shimaly
2-3
Ahly Sidon – Nahda Barelias 1-0
Ahly Nabatieh – Naser Barelias 2-2
Round
19 (15-17
March 2019)
Egtmaaey Tripoli – Nahda Barelias 4-0
Ahly Nabatieh – Al Islah Al Bourj Al
Shimaly 0-2
Homenetmen – Mabarrah 2-2
Shabab Al Arabi – Bourj 1-2
Shabab El Bourj – Ahly Sidon 1-2
Naser Barelias – Hikma / La Sagesse 5-0
Round
20 (23-24
March 2019)
Homenetmen – Naser Barelias 1-2
Hikma / La Sagesse – Al Islah Al Bourj
Al Shimaly 1-0
Ahly Nabatieh – Mabarrah 0-1
Bourj – Ahly Sidon 1-0
Shabab Al Arabi – Egtmaaey Tripoli 3-4
Shabab El Bourj – Nahda Barelias 2-1
Round
21 (31
March 2019)
Naser Barelias – Al Islah Al Bourj Al
Shimaly 3-0
Nahda Barelias – Bourj 0-2
Egtmaaey Tripoli – Shabab El Bourj 0-3
Shabab Al Arabi – Ahly Sidon 1-4
Mabarrah – Hikma / La Sagesse 0-0
Ahly Nabatieh – Homenetmen 1-1
Round
22 (5
April 2019)
Shabab El Bourj – Bourj 2-3
Nahda Barelias – Shabab Al Arabi 2-1
Egtmaaey Tripoli – Ahly Sidon 3-5
Hikma / La Sagesse – Ahly Nabatieh 2-0
Mabarrah – Naser Barelias 1-1
Al Islah Al Bourj Al Shimaly –
Homenetmen 3-0
Final table
|
1
|
Bourj
(P)
|
22
|
17
|
4
|
1
|
42-9
|
55
|
Promotion to the Premier League
|
|
2
|
Shabab
El Bourj (P)
|
22
|
15
|
2
|
5
|
48-21
|
47
|
Promotion to the Premier League
|
|
3
|
Ahly Sidon
|
22
|
14
|
3
|
5
|
44-27
|
45
|
|
|
4
|
Hikma / La Sagesse
|
22
|
7
|
8
|
7
|
29-37
|
29
|
|
|
5
|
Egtmaaey Tripoli
|
22
|
8
|
3
|
11
|
43-41
|
27
|
|
|
6
|
Ahly Nabatieh
|
22
|
6
|
8
|
8
|
37-45
|
26
|
|
|
7
|
Nahda Barelias
|
22
|
6
|
8
|
8
|
24-30
|
26
|
|
|
8
|
Naser Barelias
|
22
|
7
|
4
|
11
|
26-34
|
25
|
|
|
9
|
Al Islah Al Bourj Sh.
|
22
|
7
|
4
|
11
|
26-39
|
25
|
|
|
10
|
Mabarrah
|
22
|
5
|
10
|
7
|
20-23
|
25
|
|
|
11
|
Shabab Al Arabi (R)
|
22
|
5
|
5
|
12
|
24-35
|
20
|
Relegation
to the Third Division
|
|
12
|
Homenetmen (R)
|
22
|
4
|
3
|
15
|
30-52
|
15
|
Relegation
to the Third Division
|
If two or more teams have the same
number of points, the results of direct matches between them are the main
ranking criteria.
[1] Shabab Al Arabi also play their home matches on other grounds, such
as Safa Stadium or Bhamdoun Stadium.
[2] Al Islah Al Bourj Al Shimaly play their home matches at Sour
Municipal Stadium in Tyre because their ground in Bourj Al Shimaly is not fit.
[3] Bourj FC usually played their home matches at Safa Stadium in
Beirut in the first half of the season but moved to Amin Abdelnour Stadium in
Bhamdoun (Aley) for the second half of the season. Their ground in Bourj
el-Barajneh does not meet the requirements to host league matches.
[4] Naser Barelias play their home matches at Jamal abd Al Naser
Stadium in Rashaya because their stadium in Barelias is not fit. They also use
sometimes the Nabi Chit Stadium in Bekaa as their home ground.
[5] For the first half of 2018-2019 season, Homenetmen Beirut played
their home matches at Fouad Shebab Stadium in Jounieh. In the second half of
the season, they used several grounds, including Bourj Hammoud and Bhamdoun.
[6] Nahda Barelias play their home matches at Jamal abd Al Naser
Stadium in Rashaya because their stadium in Barelias is not fit. They also use
sometimes the Nabi Chit Stadium in Bekaa as their home ground.
No comments:
Post a Comment